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Peter Kellow - architect and writer (France)

Lara Kopylova - writer and architectural journalist (Russia)

On February 9th 2011 a group of 50 architects, urban designers and others from 12 different countries gathered at the Art Worker’s Guild in Queen Square in London .

They were guests and members of the International Network for Traditional Building Architecture and Urbanism (INTBAU) and the Traditional Architecture Group (TAG) to discuss the future of architecture and urban design.

Following presentations from chapters of INTBAU and others from the different countries, the group discussed the issues, problems and opportunities facing architects and urban designers today.

The meeting concluded with six progressive principles that should be adopted by all architects and urban designers to maintain a creative diversity, serve communities and advance the quality of life.

These principles together are known as the Queen Square Statement and in view of the participation of traditional architects from across the globe can be considered as an authoration and definitive statement of the aims of traditional architecture today.

CIAT/MKTA fully signs up to this statement of the following principles and will promote them in its activities

SERVE THE PUBLIC

1. Architecture and urban design serve the public. The views of the public should be respected and expert opinion should be moderated by democratic principles. Diversity in architecture and urban design should be encouraged and made freely available for informed public choice.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.

2. Architecture and urban design are liberal disciplines. In a liberal discipline different ideologies and principles will coexist and be practised and debated without obstruction or constraint. While adherents of differing ideologies and principles will support their views with passion and vigour, progress will always depend on mutual respect and freedom of practice and expression.

EDUCATION IN BREADTH

3. Architectural and urban design education trains professionals who will serve the public. Education should always be a liberal discipline. Students should be given a full breadth of history, knowledge and practice in all building, architectural and urban design types and principles. Education in architecture and urban design should provide positive support for the pursuit of different design philosophies without obstruction or constraint.

IDENTITY THROUGH ARCHITECTURE

4. Identity is fundamental to human society. Identity of place is a key component in the make-up of individual and community identity. Global uniformity is threatening the distinctive identity of local places. Architecture and urban design should support and promote the identity of place for local communities. New buildings and places should be understood by communities as a contribution to their understanding of the identity of their place.

CONSERVE THE PLANET

5. The efficient use of energy, raw materials and water are major challenges for the future of mankind. All avenues of research and understanding should be investigated to this end. These will include scientific, economic and social studies. An understanding of the techniques, practices and living patterns of periods before energy became easily available can make a significant contribution to the advancement of energy conservation today.

DURABLEURBAN DESIGN

6. Growing population, changing lifestyles and an increasing consumption of energy have created major pressures on towns and cities. Urban life encompasses health, living conditions, employment, movement, social interaction and recreation as well as the design of buildings and places. Architecture and urban design should take into account all aspects of urban life to create durable places that can be enjoyed by all sectors of society now and for the future.

Create publicity in the world at large for CIAT, its principles and new traditional architecture being built now and having been built over the last 10 or 20 years

Publicise the work of CIAT professional Members to the world at large. ... read more

As well as the holding of Congresses the second principle activity shall be the production of a magazine on traditional architecture featuring work of its professional Members.
The magazine shall be produced in a fine quality, full colour, hard copy only with no internet publication of it – except for certain excerpts ... read more

Here is a mockup. All contents and quality are indicative only.

CIAT shall use its resources to campaign for commissions, especially major public and commercial ones, to go to traditional architectural practices which are Founder Members and Practice Members of CIAT. ... read more

CIAT shall seek by all means possible to provide publicity for its architectural Practice Members.
As well as the congresses and the magazine these shall be promoted on the website with each Member having a listing with links to their website plus information and illustrations on the CIAT website.
The international reach of CIATwill enable Members to gain international recognition and foreign commissions.
... read more

There are three main types of members - Practice Members, Individual Members and Sponsors

CIAT shall be a non-profit making organisation registered as a single organisation in a single country.
CIAT shall be administered by the Congress Board. The Board shall consist of Members elected for a predetermined term. The elections shall be held at Annual General Meetings which shall be held during the annual congresses.
... read more

Until the advent of Modernist architecture in the early twentieth century there was no traditional architecture because all architecture was traditional.

Every building was designed by an architect who worked out of the long tradition of architecture that extends back to the dawn of civilisation. ... read more

An annual system of awards for new traditional architecture in a number of categories shall be instigated
It shall be recognised that not only complete buildings but individual elements of buildings should be recognised provided that the building to which they belong is traditional and of some merit.
This shall honour the work of artist, craftspersons, subcontractors and suppliers as essential and worthy contributors to the public and private environment.
... read more

It is administered by CIAT Founder, Peter Kellow who edits all the content. Traditional Architecture World has over 5000 subscribers from all over the world which increase by about 40 every week.

When the CIAT site goes public the Facebook page will change its name to Traditional Architecture International Congress and so give CIAT a ready made Facebook presense with a large following. ... read more

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Free to non-members. Members automatically subscribed. This is not the magazine